The Mongolian Gull is a big, gray-backed gull of East Asia that nests on large inland lakes in Mongolia and southern Siberia and spends the winter on the coasts of Korea, Japan, and China. It is not a regular visitor to the US. Long treated as part of other large gull species, it has been listed as its own species since 2024.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A large gull with a medium-gray back, black wingtips, and a stout bill. Most adults have pink legs, though some have yellow legs. Males weigh about 2.5–3.5 lb (1.15–1.58 kg), females about 1.9–2.4 lb (0.85–1.1 kg). Birds from around Lake Baikal can be noticeably paler on the back.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Inland lakes
- Seacoasts
- Estuaries
- Range
- Breeds from the Altai region of Russia to Lake Baikal, in northern Mongolia, and at Lake Khanka in northeastern China, with a small colony on Yellow Sea islands off western Korea. Winters on the coasts of Japan, Korea, eastern and southern China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam. It is not a regular visitor to North America.
- Seasonal presence
- Migratory; moves southeast to the Pacific coast of Asia for the winter.
Life cycle
- Nest
- Nests on large freshwater or salty lakes inland.
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